Professor Christopher Foot

Abstract:

Improved measurements of isotope shifts in the 4s21S0-4s5s 1S0 transition of calcium are reported for the stable isotopes. A comparison with isotope shift measurements in other transitions by means of a King plot shows satisfactory agreement. Values of the changes in mean-square nuclear charge radius delta (r2) from a combined analysis of muonic isotope shifts and electron scattering data are used to separate the mass and field shifts in the optical lines. This procedure leads to values of delta (r2) for the calcium isotopes from 40Ca to 48Ca using all available high-precision data. The results for delta (r2)A,40 are 3.2(2.5), 215.3 (4.9), 125.4 (3.2), 283.2 (6.4), 118.8 (5.9), 124.2 (5.0), 5 (13) and -4.4(6.0)*10-3 fm2 for A=41 to 48 respectively. Values of the electronic factors relating the observed shifts of delta (r2) are deduced, and discussed in terms of configuration mixing in calcium.